All publications cited in this application are herein incorporated by reference.
When plants are exposed to conditions where reduced water content in the soil due to a shortage of rainfall or irrigation leads to impaired water absorption, what could be called drought stress conditions, physiological functions of cells may deteriorate and thus various disorders may arise in the plant. When subjected to such stress factor plants display a variety of mechanistic responses as protective measures, with a resultant adverse effect on growth, development, and productivity. Significant losses in quality and yield are commonly observed.
The foregoing examples of related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive, and they do not imply any limitations on the inventions described herein. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.